Driving in General

Most American drivers shrug off the cost of tolls, parking, vehicle registration, driver’s license, etc. — it’s a pittance compared with the cost of gas, insurance and the automobile itself. In other countries, those everyday expenses can add up in a hurry. A 2011 study listed the most expensive cities for parking a car, and the priciest U.S. metropolis (New York City) wasn’t even in the top 10. The average monthly parking pass costs the most in London (over $1,000), while drivers in Oslo pay the most to park for a single day ($89). Meanwhile, drivers must pay a “congestion charge” in London to the tune of roughly $18 each and every day they tool around the city center. Skip it and a fine of as much as $190 will be assessed. Milan, Stockholm and Singapore also have congestion charges, which are designed to simultaneously reduce traffic and raise city revenue. Another way Singapore attempts to reduce congestion is by auctioning off driver’s license permits to the highest bidder; the permits, which allow a driver to own and operate a vehicle for 10 years, sold for nearly $87,000 recently.